Cossetta Italian Market & Pizzeria Restaurant Review

: The kind of restaurant that fuels nostalgic childhood memories---many St. Paulites have been returning here for decades---Cossetta is the definitive go-to stop for fast, satisfying Italian food. When you enter, there is a small but comprehensive market off to your right, where you can stock up on imported meats, cheeses and specialty foods in case you want to do it yourself. But why bother? Take a left instead and brave a blessedly fast-moving cafeteria-style line, listen to the mellow strains of Frank Sinatra and ponder over your order. We gravitate toward the hot Italian beef, a roast beef sandwich served on a hard Italian roll, dipped in au jus and topped with giardiniera, a hot, vinegary mixture of peppers and vegetables. If you can stand to pass over enticing hot entrées, such as the chicken cacciatore and veal Parmigiano, you are instantly rewarded with racks of steaming New York-style pizza. While there is nothing special about the toppings (chèvre is not spoken here), a single, mammoth slice of cheese is enough for most appetites. Don’t even think about skipping the cannoli, which is the real deal.